


Between the Lines

by Archadian_Skies



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, Florists, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Meet-Cute, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-07-19
Packaged: 2018-12-04 04:44:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11547732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Archadian_Skies/pseuds/Archadian_Skies
Summary: A tattoo parlour opens next door to the Castellanos flower shop, and Sebastian decides to do the civil thing and introduce himself to his new business neighbour.





	1. Chapter 1

Flowers spoke a language of their own, and his mother had spent many an afternoon teaching it to him. His earliest memories were filled with the scent of flowers, the feel of damp earth between his fingers, and the sound of his mother’s soft, patient voice.

His mother’s grandparents opened up the flower shop, and their family had been a constant presence in Krimson City ever since. Now it was his turn, and taking over a family business at the age of thirty felt more like a comfortable armchair than an intimidating throne.

“Sebastian, hey how’s things?” A familiar voice greeted as the bell above the door jingled upon entry.

“Hey Connelly. Bouquet’s ready for you. Or should I say for Méave?” He grinned, holding out the decadent arrangement to the sheepish man.

“You’re a real pal.” Oscar Connelly was a regular, and Sebastian had known him since the family man had been but a lanky, awkward adolescent trying to woo his schoolyard crush. They were happily married now, with two kids and another on the way.

“Do you know if it’s a boy or girl yet?” Sebastian asked as they moved to the counter, and Oscar juggled the bouquet as he fished out his wallet.

“Nah, we’re surprising ourselves this time.” He handed over some notes, waving away the change. “We’ve already got a lad and a lass, so the set’s complete. The next one’s just a bonus.”

“I’ll have the wreaths ready for the Christening.” Sebastian vowed, and Oscar laughed jovially. The florist and his mother had produced beautiful arrangements for every significant event in his life, and he couldn’t imagine a happy moment without the scent of flowers.

“Thanks Sebastian.” Oscar reached across and shook his hand firmly. “Hey, you catch a look at the new guy next door?”

“What, the tattoo parlour taking over the Jimenez clinic?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Anything would be better than those brothers.”

“Yeah but a tattoo parlour? Council’s outta their mind.” Oscar rolled his eyes, giving him a friendly wave before he took his leave.

Sebastian sighed, wiping his hands on his apron. A tattooist and a florist. What an odd combination indeed.

* * *

 

It was an unspoken tradition that when a new store opened, the Castellanos family would gift them with a flower arrangement.

Joseph wished someone had at least warned him, so he could have been prepared as he turned around and almost smacked into a wall of talking flowers. He’d let out a shriek of surprise, and the flowers had  _laughed_ at him.

“Sorry for sneaking up on you.” The flowers shifted, and Joseph found himself looking at a very handsome face. “I’m Sebastian Castellanos, the florist next door.”

“Joseph Oda.” A moment of gauging the huge flower arrangement. “Do you want a hand with that? Where am I even going to put that?”

“Oh, it sits by the door like this-” Sebastian carried it over with no visible effort, bending his knees so he could set it down gently. “All the new shops get one. It’s my family’s way of welcoming new businesses.”

“Oh. That’s very kind of you.” He blinked, before holding out his hand. “Thank you.”

“So. New tattooist eh?” Sebastian shook his hand and Joseph almost winced at the tight grip. “Didn’t think we’d ever see one on the main street. Congrats.”

Without the flowers in his arms, Joseph got a good look at his new business neighbour. Tall and broad, with shaggy hair pulled into a sprout of a ponytail at his nape. Stubble along a sharp jawline and warm amber eyes.

Moving to Krimson City was definitely the right decision.

* * *

 

Sebastian couldn’t understand how quiet, neat and tidy Joseph Oda could be a renowned tattooist. He’d Googled the guy purely out of curiosity, and the images of his work seemed endless. He specialized in geometric  black linework, which after a bit of reading Sebastian came to know needed an incredibly steady hand and precision skill.

The man was twenty-five and had a year-long waitlist. People were willing to follow him from  _Canada_.   


It was so far removed from the brash, unkempt punk Sebastian pictured when the council issued a letter informing him of the new business opening next door.

He knew it was playing into a stereotype and incredibly discriminatory, but his knee-jerk reaction had been to expect thugs and biker gangs and ex-prisoners filing into the tattoo parlour next door and frightening away business forever.  


Joseph’s clientele were mostly artsy twenty-somethings who often paused and admired the arrangements in Sebastian’s window display. A few of them even bought bouquets as congratulatory gifts jokingly given to friends freshly inked.

Where Sebastian opened early in the morning and closed around 7pm at the latest, Joseph would open at midday and close at 10pm. Fridays were their closest overlap, and Sebastian found himself curiously drawn to the well-dressed tattooist next door.

“Hey Sebastian.” Joseph smiled, waving him in. “All done for the day?”

“Yeah. And you?” He dug his hands into his jean pockets, looking around and admiring the framed artworks on the wall. Some were inked illustrations, others were photographs of those illustrations on people.

“Just about to lock up. What a week huh?”

“You wanna get a drink? My shout.” Sebastian offered, and Joseph perked at the suggestion.

“You serious?”

“Yeah. You survived your first month, you deserve a drink.” He chuckled, and Joseph grinned in agreement.

Summer meant nights were still warm, and neither of them bothered with a coat as they wandered down the street together. Krimson City was lit up on Fridays, and they soon merged into the throng of people winding down at the end of the week. As they passed by the pet store window lined with aquariums, Sebastian’s eyes widened.

“Wait- Jo, wait- your arm-” He stammered, reaching out and grabbing his wrist to stop him from walking ahead. “What-”

“Hm?” Joseph blinked, following his gaze down to his arms. “Oh! Right, I keep forgetting not everyone’s [seen these](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fi57.tinypic.com%2F22bz8p.jpg&t=OWQ3YmVhNjkxNGNkMTQ5YzA3MmRiNTU0YjFiMjM1MmE4YTM3MjFjOCxkUk1ieUdZeg%3D%3D&b=t%3ARLLxRaHVD9LxJA1n_kXLOw&p=http%3A%2F%2Farchadianskies.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F109372046582%2Fbetween-the-lines&m=1).”

“They look amazing, how the hell do they do that?” Sebastian turned Joseph’s wrist so his arm caught the UV light streaming from the aquariums.

“It’s a special ink that can only be seen under UV lights.” He laughed at Sebastian’s expression of wonderment. “Pretty cool huh?”

“I’ll say! You can’t even see them in daylight!”

“It’s not my specialty though. An old flame of mine did them a couple of years ago but we lost touch after he moved back to Belgium.” Joseph offered his other arm for Sebastian to inspect. “I like the simplicity of black ink and clean lines. See?”

Pulling out of his grasp, Joseph lifted the hem of his shirt just enough to show the minimalistic [grid of black lines](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fi61.tinypic.com%2F2i6i4vb.jpg&t=MGU4NmNkNGE2MTg2ZGQ1Mzk2YTliZjA2ODUzNGYzZmI0ZGIzNzc3YSxkUk1ieUdZeg%3D%3D&b=t%3ARLLxRaHVD9LxJA1n_kXLOw&p=http%3A%2F%2Farchadianskies.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F109372046582%2Fbetween-the-lines&m=1) on his hip.

“Did you…do this to yourself?”

“Pretty terrible, right? There’s a bit of feathering on this line.” Joseph sighed, running his thumb along it. “I’d never do such shoddy work on a client. I did this a while ago though, when I first started out. The rest are much better.”

“The…rest?” Sebastian asked slowly, unable to stop his words from running away.

“Well yeah, most of me is inked.” Joseph laughed, before his expression turned mischievous. “You’ll have to buy me dinner in the very least.”

“I’m taking you out for a drink now,” Sebastian grinned sheepishly. “How’s that for starters?”

“I thought this was just after work drinks on a Friday for two business owners?” Joseph resumed walking, the tattooed bones vanishing as soon as he passed the pet store. His cheeky grin remained. “Or am I supposed to read deeper into this?”

“Well now,” Sebastian huffed, falling into step beside him, “I’m not one to tell others what to do.” He gestured for Joseph to enter the establishment, ushering him up two flights of stairs that then opened up into an ambient bar.

The moment Joseph stepped onto the landing, the white lines on his arms lit up, continuing past his sleeves, along his neck and even across [one side of his face](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fi59.tinypic.com%2Fk68ab.jpg&t=NGUxNzU0MmE2ZWMyN2U3MWExMjFkNGJlZGIwNDVjMzY0NmY1ZjEyNyxkUk1ieUdZeg%3D%3D&b=t%3ARLLxRaHVD9LxJA1n_kXLOw&p=http%3A%2F%2Farchadianskies.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F109372046582%2Fbetween-the-lines&m=1).

Unable to help himself, Sebastian cupped his cheek, rubbing his thumb along the white lines embedded in his skin.

“Fuck me, Joseph, that’s-”

“You promised a drink first.” Joseph reminded him slyly, moving his hand away.

“Yes, you’re right.” Sebastian laughed. “Yes I did.”

* * *

 

The inhabitants of Krimson City hadn’t been too sure about a tattoo parlour opening up, especially right beside such a beloved landmark in the form of the Castellanos Flower Shop.

But as the months passed, it seemed it fit in just fine.

After a few months, the tattoo artist began to wear a freshly cut flower pinned to his lapel.

A little while later, tight precise lines of black ink began to cut neatly across the florist’s arm in minimalist, geometric arrangements.


	2. Chapter 2

There was a sliver of time between afternoon and sunset where the sky would be varnished a golden bronze before the moon ushered in the nighttime; photographers called it the Golden Hour.

The way their storefronts were positioned meant once the sun began to dip low, the light would filter into their shops and wash everything aglow. It made the air sleepy, made them sigh contentedly as the day began to wind down.

Without any more clients booked for the day, Joseph decided to close early and wander next door to see how the florist was faring that afternoon.

“Hey Joseph.” Sebastian greeted with a broad smile, one that Joseph couldn’t help but return. “How’s things?”

“I’m alright. Done for the day, so I thought I’d peek in on you.” Joseph hurriedly added. “If you don’t mind my company, that is.”

“Not at all. Could use an extra hand, if you can spare yours.” Sebastian gestured at the seedlings sitting neatly in rows on the benchtop. “I need to repot some of the bigger plants, but these little guys need a drink.”

“I’ll be glad to.” Joseph nodded, plucking the spare apron from the hook behind the counter and wandering over to the sink so he could fill the watering can.

Sebastian crossed over to the window display, fussing with the plants resting on a rustic wooden step ladder. Joseph watched him distractedly as the man began to gently ease the plants out of their old pots and replant them into larger ones. Damp earth clung to his fingers, the scent of greenery and flowers heavy in the air. The warm golden light cast across his face and his figure, and Joseph leaned against the counter with no intention of watering the seedlings for now.

The florist was humming softly beneath his breath, experienced hands carrying out their task in a well practiced manner as the corners of his mouth were upturned in a small smile. 

Ever since Joseph had opened the tattoo parlour next door, Sebastian had been nothing but kind and friendly towards him. He was always happy to chat, and invited him out for drinks regularly on a Friday night. It was nearing 18 months since the parlour opened, and Joseph considered Sebastian a close friend and important fixture in his life.

He wondered if they’d ever grow closer, wondered if Sebastian ever wondered the same about him.

Setting the watering can down on the bench, Joseph made his way to Sebastian’s side, saying nothing when he turned to give him a quizzical look. Hesitantly, Joseph reached out and rested his hand on Sebastian’s waist, running his thumb over the soft, worn jersey of his shirt. Hooking his finger through one of the belt loops on Sebastian’s jeans, Joseph tugged him to follow as he backed up towards the counter.

The golden light made Sebastian’s eyes look like amber, and Joseph cupped his cheek, palm prickled by the stubble on his jaw. With his other hand, Joseph slowly slid it beneath Sebastian’s shirt, his skin warm to the touch. Guiding him to lean down, Joseph pressed their mouths together in a kiss, the kiss he’d been longing for ever since they’d met.

* * *

 

Ever since he could remember, he’d always been an early riser. Perhaps it had something to do with his mother and father up and ready to receive the daily delivery of flowers on weekdays. 

Sebastian smiled as the morning light peeked through the blinds and cut sharp yellow slashes across Joseph’s pale skin. The artist was covered in beautiful, intricate geometric tattoos, something he had taken great delight in discovering. 

He hadn’t ever thought about what made people love a picture so much they wanted it on their skin forever. But looking at Joseph’s body, he could understand it a little better now. 

With the pads of his fingertips, he traced the lines of black ink on Joseph’s thigh with a featherlight touch and marvelled at their craftsmanship. The man was a walking piece of art, one that was somehow in Sebastian’s bed with the promise this wouldn’t be the last time that would happen.

* * *

 

“Your flowers, Ms Gutierrez.”

“Thank you, Sebastian.” Tatiana smiled gratefully, fishing for her purse as Sebastian finished tying the bow on the bouquet. The man seemed distracted, eyes straying to the benchtop behind him. Every time he saw the rack of seedlings, he smiled wistfully.

“Something the matter, Sebastian?” She asked, politely bringing his attention back to her.

“Ah- no, sorry. Just a lot of things to do, that’s all.” Sebastian apologised, accepting the credit card and going through the motions of taking payment before returning it to her with a receipt. “Nothing to worry about. Have yourself a nice day, Ms Gutierrez.”


End file.
